ODU Wrestling Takes Mat For Annual Blue-Silver Intersquad

October 28, 2007
By ODU Athletics

ODU Sports

Oct. 28, 2007

NORFOLK, Va. -- The Annual Blue-Silver Intersquad was held on Sunday, October 29 for the ODU Monarch Wrestling team. Four Monarch wrestlers won by major decision, including Chris Brown's 20-7 victory over teammate T.C. Pendleton. Ryan Williams (141) and Joey Metzler (149) both shutout their opponents in the wrestle-offs.

The first five bouts of the afternoon were tight. In the 125-lb. match James Nicholson dropped teammate Billy Chamberlain by decision 8-2 in a match that was closer than the score indicates.

Redshirt freshman Dan Rivera followed with a 3-1 victory over Tel Todd in the 157-lb. weight class. The difference in the bout was a takedown with just one second remaining in the first period.

Nick Pullano won 5-2 over Derek Coffey in the 174-lb. weight class. Pullano executed a takedown with two seconds remaining in the first went up by three with a takedown late in the second period.

The heavyweights would grapple to a stalemate for much of the match, but Roy Dragon III would win on a three-second nearfall in the second period. He toppled Andy Totusek 4-1 for the decision.

In the closest match of the day, the 184 pounders Jesse Strawn and Scott Cust battled all three periods. The first points would come in the second period when Strawn would execute a reversal on Cust going up 2-0. Cust would escape, cutting the lead to one. In the third period, Cust would choose the bottom, and escaped Strawn's advantage to tie the score at 2-2. However, Cust could not drop Strawn and the sophomore from Kansas held the riding time advantage to win 3-1.

After five tight bouts, the last four were nothing of the sort. At 165-lbs., Chris Brown would put 20 points on the board against T.C. Pendleton, with nine takedowns. The 20-7 major decision comes in his new weight class.

Sophomore Kyle Hutter then stepped on the mat for the 133-lb. match, across from freshman Justin Belanger. Hutter, a full-time starter as a true freshman put Belanger away 18-6 for the major decision. Hutter had eight takedowns in the bout.

At 149, redshirt freshman Joey Metzler would shut out Buffy Okigbo, adding over five minutes of riding time for the eighth point of the major decision.

In the final bout of the day, Ryan Williams would duplicate Metzler's success, with a nine point major decision over Lester France at 141 lbs.

The Monarchs wrestle-offs are the annual indicator that the ODU wrestling season has begun. The Old Dominion grapplers will start the regular season November 9 at Michigan State, for the first dual of the season. ODU will also face Iowa on the road before hosting Delaware State University at The Ted on January 8.